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Yuichiro SATO: Focusing on a new generation in Tokyo 2009
Reviews
Written by Satoshi KOGANEZAWA   
Published: August 17 2009

fig. 1 View from "Yuichiro Sato, solo exhibition" in Gallery-58 (2007), courtesy of Gallery-58 copy right(c) Yuichiro SATO

fig. 2 View from "Yuichiro Sato, solo exhibition" in Gallery-58 (2009), courtesy of Gallery-58 copy right(c) Yuichiro SATO

fig. 3 "shadow in soil" (2008); panel/Japanese paper/pigment/dye/iron powder/wax, 2,270mm×1,820mm, courtesy of Gallery-58 copy right(c) Yuichiro SATO

fig. 4 View from "Yuichiro Sato, solo exhibition" in Gallery-58 (2008), courtesy of Gallery-58 copy right(c) Yuichiro SATO

     As Yuichiro Sato mentioned in his comments, “I am drawing pictures, focusing on the earth”, he has been creating works based on the theme of “underground”. This was his third solo exhibition at the Gallery-58 since 2007. Nevertheless, thinking back on his previous works, such as the “shadow in soil” (panel/mashi (hemp paper)/gasenshi/pigment/dye/ink/wax, 227cm×1,123cm, 2007) [fig. 1] presented at his solo exhibition in 2007, in which he expressed the so-called earth through abstract painting which was created using the red-brown colored materials, and the “underground stem” (panel/clay/sand/iron powder/natural mineral pigment/pigment/ink, 270cm×720cm, 2005), in which the panel was molded into the form of tree roots which wriggled in an underground world, his latest creation entitled “shadow in soil” (panel/Japanese paper/pigment/dye/metal powder, 227cm×18m, 2009) [fig. 2], which was shown for the first time in this exhibition, made me feel that Sato is now in a transition period of his creative activities.

     The “shadow in soil”, which was composed of twenty panels, the length of which was no less than 18 meters in total, was displayed following the shape of the wall surface. According to Sato, although he started to create this work in an orderly manner from the end panel based on a draft, he came to notice that he could not line up more than eight panels in his atelier (during the creating process, he laid the panels [up to six] down on the floor), therefore, he was only able to get a complete picture of this work for the first time at the exhibition site. In the “shadow in soil” (panel/Japanese paper/pigment/dye/iron powder/wax, 2,270mm×1,820mm, 2008) [fig. 3] [fig. 4], which was presented at his solo exhibition held in 2008, each panel was displayed separately, different to the stretch of works shown in this exhibition and in 2007. Regarding the exhibits in the “METAII 2009” (Takashimaya, Nihonbashi, Art Gallery X, 22/Jul/2009-03/Aug/2009), he made them by developing the characteristics of the “shadow in soil”, which was shown in 2008. Therefore, I felt that the work in this exhibition created a very different impression from that presented in 2008. Indeed, in terms of colors used in these creations, his new work can be said to be similar to his creation made in 2008, but the former made us feel a kind of amorphous dynamism, in contrast to the latter through which he expressed an image of great tension and proportion by drawing lines downwards in the work using metal powder.

     More concretely, his new creation, which was drawn using purple and white as its basic colors, evoked for us an image of the sky, with refraction of light and vibration of the atmosphere, rather than an image of the earth. We could find there was something like a flashing light or a thread of wind which ran through the work from the far right to the center. Assuming that his previous creations had the nature of making the viewers’ bodies, which were placed in the exhibition spaces, “sink into” the symbolic underground world, this exhibit must be a kind of work which encourages us to “get out” to the external world. Indeed, it cannot be denied that it will be difficult to display a larger work than this at this venue because of the space constraints, but I suppose Sato intends to create more large-scale works.

     Unfortunately, I do not have enough information to identify the cause of the changes in his creations, but it can be imagined that his personal history, including the fact that he moved from his home town, Yamagata Prefecture, to Saitama Prefecture after completing his doctor’s course in an art culture major including Japanese painting at the Graduate School of Art and Design, Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2005, may have had some impact on his creative activities. Indeed, I am not familiar with the scenery in Yamagata, but I suppose there may be some environmental differences between the Tohoku area and Saitama Prefecture. Also, it can be said that environmental differences sometimes have an influence on the way of creating art works. Needless to say, I should not regard this aspect as the sole reason for the changes of his works, and also it would be too crude to consider one difference as the only reason for the changes in his creations, but, anyway, through this exhibition, we could see some change occurring in Sato’s works. We saw his strong intention to move ahead in these exhibits, which made us look forward to seeing his future works.
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)

Last Updated on November 04 2015
 

Editor's Note by Satoshi Koganezawa


The 18m-wide masterpiece “shadow in soil” that consists of 20 panels (panel/Japanese paper/pigments/dyestuff/metal powder, 227cm×18m) covers the exhibition wall. There is a sense of "dynamism” this time, in comparison with the “stillness” of the work exhibited in the solo exhibition in the same place last year. The work this time shows us the movement of invisible things such as light and the winds. What Sato tries to draw may perhaps be an extremely simple phenomenon even though it seems grand, and his sincere effort to bring it forth as a work. This work involves our body within the exhibition space, as if we are opening our inner-self toward the outside.


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